Riding the Raisina Tiger

Riding the Raisina Tiger - a Politico-military thriller about an Army Chief who decided to take things into his own hands. AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD ON 26 JAN ON OCCASION OF REPUBLIC DAY FROM https://www.amazon.com/Riding-Raisina-Tiger-Story-military-ebook/dp/B01ALCCNSS

The vastness and diversity of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its
littorals, and difference in the latters’ overall view of regional
security, presents a broad spectrum of challenges therein. The maritime
capacities of most littoral states are not strong enough to individually
address these challenges. However, synergised response strategies,
appropriately regulated by one or two collectively mandated apex bodies,
would greatly help in managing regional maritime security. The existing
maritime cooperative initiatives in IOR, like the Indian Ocean Rim
Association (IORA) and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), have shown
great promise and potential. Countries like India and Australia, major
players in both these constructs, can possibly rally other IOR littorals
into leveraging their maritime capacities under these pan-regional fora
by mutual agreement. Concurrently, both initiatives could find
congruence in their maritime security visions, so as to create a
collaborative local environment for collective benefits without
dependence on extra-regional players.

The United States
and India have held talks about conducting joint naval patrols that a US
defence official said could include the disputed South China Sea, a move that
would most likely anger Beijing, which claims most of the waterway.

Washington wants its
regional allies and other Asian nations to take a more united stance against
China over the South China Sea, where tension has spiked in the wake of
Beijing’s construction of seven man-made islands in the Spratly archipelago.

India and the US
have ramped up military ties in recent years, holding naval exercises in the
Indian Ocean that last year involved the Japanese navy.

But the Indian Navy
has never carried out joint patrols with another country and a naval spokesman
said there was no change in the government policy of only joining an
international military effort under the United Nations flag. He pointed to
India’s refusal to be part of anti-piracy missions involving dozens of
countries in the Gulf of Aden and instead carrying out its own operations there
since 2008.

The US defence
official said the two sides had discussed joint patrols, adding that both were
hopeful of launching these operations within a year. The patrols would likely
be in the Indian Ocean where the Indian Navy is a major player as well as the
South China Sea, the official said.

The official gave no
details on the scale of the proposed patrols. There was no immediate comment
from China, which is on a week-long holiday for Chinese New Year. — Reuters

The condition of
Siachen survivor Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad has deteriorated over the past
one day and it remains “very critical”, the Army has said.

Hanumanthappa of the
19 Madras Regiment was rescued alive six days after being buried under tonnes
of ice following an avalanche on the Siachen Glacier on February 3. His
condition was reviewed by a team of the Army Hospital (R&R) comprising
critical care specialists, Head of the Dept of Medicine, nephrologists,
neurologists and a panel of experts from AIIMS, New Delhi.

An Army statement
said, “He continues to remain extremely critical with evidence of oxygen
deprivation to the brain on CT scan. There is evidence of pneumonia in both
lungs.”

“The rescued jawan has
multi-organ dysfunction and that continues…His condition has deteriorated
despite aggressive therapy and supportive care,” it added.

Hanumanthappa remained
ventilator-dependent since his arrival in the hospital yesterday, it said. The
medical team at the R&R Hospital was monitoring his condition regularly and
he was being treated with the best expertise and resources available in the world,
the Army said.

Hailing Hanumanthappa’s
“endurance and will power”, Congress president Sonia Gandhi wished for his
speedy recovery.

Capt Shikhar Deep of
8 Sikh Light Infantry went missing under mysterious circumstances after he
boarded a train in Bihar on the intervening night of February 6 and 7. He was
travelling to Delhi from Katihar on the Mahananda Express.

Sources said Capt
Shikhar Deep was a resident of Bihar. He was posted with Sikh Light Infantry
(Sikh Li), a unit based in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir. His father, Lt
Col Anant Kumar, told the Army that his son spoke to him while onboard the
train on February 6 at 10.40 am.

Shikhar (25) told
his family that two persons who did not have confirmed tickets were in his
compartment.

The Captain's
relatives arrived at the Delhi railway station to pick him but he did not reach
there. However, his belongings, including his shoes, clothes and an empty
wallet, were found in the train.

The location of his
phone was traced to a hotel at Bihar Sharief on February 7 morning. Since then,
the phone is switched off. The Army authorities are trying to locate the
missing officer with the help of the police.

"The officer
(Captain) might have been looted by the criminals by offering drinks or food
mixed with drugs/intoxicant or sedatives," said a senior Army officer.

"They
(miscreants) mix drugs and sedatives with food, drink and even prasad. We have
received reports about women being used to lure jawans," said another
officer.

Year on, Centre yet
to respond to relief hike for firing range victims

Ravi Krishnan
Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 10

The state Home
Department has been awaiting a response to a proposal submitted by it to the
Ministry of Defence a year ago for enhancing compensation package to people
affected by field firing ranges across the state.

On February 27 last
year, the Home Department had submitted the proposal to the Ministry of Defence
and, on February 7 this year, Governor NN Vohra had requested Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar for enhanced compensation.

Jammu Divisional
Commissioner Pawan Kotwal said the rates of compensation being given to the
affected population were fixed almost three decades ago.

“We have sent a proposal to the
Centre suggesting enhanced rates relevant with the existing market rates. The
affected people are getting paltry compensation,” he added.

He said that on the days of
firing, the Army, well in advance, asks the people living close to ranges to
stay indoors to remain safe and sometimes they have to be dislocated, which
affects their livelihood.

State Home Secretary RK Goyal
said the Centre’s response to the proposal was still awaited. The Defence
Ministry has been asked to give compensation at a par with the market rates.

On restrictions on movement and
dislocation of local populace on days of firing, the Army has fixed Rs 8 (for
the day) and Rs 12 (for the night) for males and females above 18 years. The
Home Department has suggested hiking it to Rs 151 (for the day) and Rs 225 (for
the night).

The Home Department proposed Rs
2.50 lakh for deaths due to firing, Rs 2 lakh for 100 per cent disability, Rs
1.50 lakh for 50 per cent to 100 percent disability and Rs 1 lakh for
disability below 50 per cent.

The letter mentioned that to
date the Army has not paid compensation or ex gratia for losses or injuries to
human lives due to the firing practice.

A compensation for livestock of
the villagers killed due to firing practice has also been proposed. The letter
also suggested compensation for crop loss, a joint survey of which should be
conducted by the Revenue authorities with the Army unit concerned.

The letter also contained
objections of the people to renewal of firing ranges. The objections were based
on displacement and restrictions imposed on movement of people on days of
firing that affected their economic activities; deaths due to shells remaining
unexploded and not cleared by the Army units after firing; damages to building
and other structures due to tremors as a result of explosions; issues related
to medical treatment of the injured and compensation for livestock and crop
loss.

The “Agenda for Alliance” of the
PDP-BJP government had also wanted that monetary remuneration should be made by
the Army at market rates.

SEOUL: North Korea's army chief of staff has been
executed, South Korean media reported on Wednesday, in what would amount to the
latest in a series of purges and executions of top officials by leader Kim
Jong-Un.

Ri Yong-Gil, Chief
of the Korean People's Army (KPA) General Staff was executed earlier this month
for forming a political faction and corruption, Yonhap news agency said, citing
a source familiar with North Korean affairs.

The report came at a
time of highly elevated tensions on the divided Korean peninsula following the
North's recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.

Ri was often seen
accompanying Kim Jong-Un on inspection tours, but his name was conspicuously missing
from state media reports of a recent major party meeting and celebrations over
Sunday's rocket launch.

"The
execution... suggests that Kim Jong-Un still feels insecure about his grip on
the country's powerful military," Yonhap quoted the source as saying.

"It shows that
Kim's reign of terror still persists," the source was quoted as saying.

The National
Intelligence Service (NIS) in Seoul declined to comment on the report.

In May last year the
NIS said Kim had his defence chief, Hyon Yong-Chol, executed -- reportedly with
the use of an anti-aircraft gun.

Hyon's fate was
never confirmed by Pyongyang but he has never been seen or heard of since. Some
analysts have suggested he was purged and imprisoned.

Reports -- some
confirmed, some not -- of purges, executions and disappearances have been
common since Kim took power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in
December 2011.

A large number of
senior officials, especially military cadres, were removed or demoted as the
young leader sought to solidify his control over the powerful army.

In the most
high-profile case, Kim had his influential uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, executed in
December 2013 for charges including treason and corruption.